University of Georgia

For Families

The Center for Family Research (CFR) at the University of Georgia has been forming partnerships with rural communities to improve the lives of African Americans for over 25 years. Under the leadership of Dr. Gene Brody, we work closely with families, schools, and community leaders to understand better the challenges that different rural African American families face and the ways in which they overcome these challenges. We are grateful for the thousands of family members who have trusted us enough to share their life experiences through our research studies.

The Center is not an agency that provides services to families, but we do want to be a resource for families. This page is dedicated to providing general information about our research and sharing resources for physical and mental well-being that are particularly relevant for African Americans.

Visit our Research FAQs here for more information

What Strong African American Families Do

We followed hundreds of Black families for a decade to learn what caregivers do to raise strong kids who do not fall prey to negative influences and seek out positive goals for their lives. Read what they do and how you can apply their strategies in your family.

Web Resources for Families

The following webpages were created specifically for the African American community and cover a range of topics related to overall wellness and physical and mental health:

Black Health Matters

BlackDoctor.org

Black Mental Wellness

Sister Afya (for women)

Additionally, the following national mental health organizations provide information regarding mental health and substance abuse prevention/treatment:

Mental Health America provides a list of mental health conditions and major topics in mental health here.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has a page dedicated to information specific to African Americans and mental health here.

SAMHSA Treatment Locator: A treatment locator tool that can help anyone find substance abuse, mental health, or co-occurring disorder treatment centers all over the country.

FindTreatment.gov: A government-run website that holds a directory of thousands of state-licensed drug and alcohol treatment centers all over the country.

SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 A national helpline for anyone struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues.

National Harm Reduction Coalition: An organization that advocates safe use habits among active drug users. Even if someone is not ready to quit using, they can still take steps to reduce the risks of drug use.

Partnership to End Addiction – Partnership to End Addiction (drugfree.org) Resource for a variety of prevention and treatment solutions for families.